The Research Of Seal Cutting In Shanghai Style

There are researches on painting in Shanghai style and calligraphy in Shanghai style but seal cutting in Shanghai style. This subject aims to do some pioneer and fundamental studies on seal cutting in Shanghai style.This paper centers about why seal cutting in Shanghai style rose, what it is based on, as well as its commercial, cultural and artistic characters. The rising of seal cutting in Shanghai style was due to the business prosperity brought about by Shanghai port-opening. The war brought a large number of cultural immigrants, who under the new circumstances formed a new culture, the new school of seal cutting coming from their psychological structure. The commercial characters of seal cutting in Shanghai style was derived from the formation of art market. Markets for artistic commodities boosted the development and diversity of seal cutting, while diverse market operation modes in turn stimulated the emergence of professional fees charged by seal makers. The pursuit of profits gave rise to the flourishing of seal cutting in Shanghai style. On the other hand, it also pushed seal cutting to worldliness, or even worse vulgarity. It is inevitable for seal cutting in Shanghai style finally to take its way to worldliness, for some seal makers tended to be worldly for monetary interests, which lead to the lack of creative subjectivity. Meanwhile, as national cultural center, seal cutting in Shanghai style was quite vigorous under the influence of the latest developments of Chinese and western cultures. In addition, studies on seal cutting in Shanghai style also appeared as multi-culture. For example, some researchers such as Sha Menghai focused on new research constructions of seal cutting, which means studying from a"new"perspective; other researchers like Deng Sanmu advocated subject construction of seal cutting, spreading among the plebian; some others like Huang Binhong emphasized the"profundity"of seal cutting. These three different levels of academic research also mirror the different cultural levels of seal cutting in Shanghai style during the period of the Republic of China.Seal cutting in Shanghai style distinguishes itself with the innovation and diversity of its artistic styles. This paper is to do case studies on several representative seal makers of different schools, namely, Wu Changshuo, Zhao Shigang, Wang Fuan, Jian Jinglun, Qian Shoutie, Lai Chusheng and Han Tianheng, who stands for the end of seal cutting in Shanghai style.The paper examines the rising and declining of seal cutting in Shanghai style from various perspectives of sociology, economics, culturology and stylistics. With new perspectives, plus rich and accurate materials, this paper is absolutely a valuable achievement to understand the origins and styles of seal cutting in Shanghai style.